


A (Thorny) Rose By Any Other Name

by ScarTheArmada



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, Barista Scott, Barista Stiles Stilinski, Businessman Peter, M/M, Sarcastic Stiles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 15:06:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5460794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarTheArmada/pseuds/ScarTheArmada
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspired by this Tumblr prompt: I’m a barista and you’re the obnoxious customer who comes through and orders a venti macchiato while talking on the phone the whole time so I misspell your name in increasingly creative ways every day AU</p><p>Written for Steter Secret Santa 2.0 for freefallintofandom on Tumblr.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A (Thorny) Rose By Any Other Name

**Author's Note:**

> To freefallintofandom. I hope you like it. Happy Holidays.
> 
> A/n: I changed the coffee order. Also, I own nothing but my imagination and a twisted love for Steter. (Or really, Stiles with anyone.)

The first few times it happens, Stiles doesn’t even think the hot, always-on-the-phone businessman/ corporate drone even notices.

The morning rush at  _Sugar & Cream_  _Coffeehouse_  is just dying down when the guy comes in for his first visit to the shop (Stiles knows it’s his first because he wouldn’t forget a face like that). And yes, Stiles is aware of and greatly appreciates the sexual innuendo that is the name of his workplace. He doesn’t think that was the owner’s intention though. Poor guy doesn’t get the joke when Stiles plays “[Sugar](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxF6mWFLD_g)” by Maroon 5 on repeat when he’s in the mood to be a little shit.

Stiles is running the register while his best friend Scott makes the coffees. Stiles has too much trouble keeping his limbs from flailing when he gets excited to be allowed near cups full of hot beverages.

Hot-guy-in-a-suit comes in, talking on his phone in a stern voice that makes Stiles imagine how demanding he might be in the bedroom. What? He works in a place called  _Sugar and Cream_. His mind is in the gutter like 95% of the time. He can hardly be blamed for that. Anyway, the guy just manages to fit his order of a black coffee in between his arguments with whoever he’s on the phone to. Stiles rings it up and grabs a cup, marker poised to write a name on it but the customer is already distracted again.

“Uh, excuse me,” Stiles says maybe a little louder than necessary.

“Yes?” The man asks impatiently, covering his phone with one hand so his call partner won’t hear his exchange with Stiles.

“Name?” Stiles asks with an arched brow. He doesn’t really appreciate the attitude.

“Peter,” the man answers before going back to ignoring Stiles’ existence and getting back to his conversation.

So, it starts as Stiles just being a dick. Hey, phone guy started it!

“Peetor” Stiles writes in black ink and then switches to the highlighter he keeps under the counter for when he has to catch up on his Uni work while he’s stuck at his job. He makes a little pee trail leaking out of the ‘r’ and hands the cup to a waiting Scott.

You’d think by now Scott would be used to Stiles’ antics. This isn’t the first time that Stiles has purposely misspelled someone’s name. Nor is it the first time he’s added illustrations. But for some reason, Scott always gives him that disappointed look and a shake of his head as he takes the cup and makes the ordered drink.  _Always_. Stiles merely shrugs. It’s not as though  _anyone_  expects him to be a model employee. Jim knew how Stiles was when he hired him.

When the coffee is done, Scott calls out Peter’s name and the man takes his drink and leaves the shop, still lost in his phone conversation. Stiles may be going to school for a business degree but he hopes he doesn’t ever end up so oblivious to the world around him.

 

*

 

The next time Peter comes in, Stiles recognizes him right away. You’d think it might be difficult to recognize someone when you can only really see half of their face, but the attached cell phone kind of gives him away.

Most people, when they’re on the phone, will at least tuck the device against their chest for a moment so that they can give their order. Peter, once again, simply spits out his order of a black coffee and keeps chatting.

Stiles already knows his name but doesn’t appreciate being treated so rudely, so he interrupts Peter’s call to ask for it again.

“Peter,” Peter repeats from last time and goes back to ignoring the little people that don’t exist outside of his expensive black iphone.

Scott is a little backed up with making the coffees after a quick succession of complicated orders and Peter’s is the last in long line so Stiles has more time to be creative. He writes “Petar” on the cup and then uses the black marker to draw a dinosaur slowly sinking in a tar pit. He studies it, lamenting the fact that he didn’t go to art school for a brief moment before placing it with the other cups waiting to be filled.

Peter is off to the side with everyone else waiting for their drinks but Stiles can clearly hear him over the crowd’s steady hum of quiet conversation, voice high, tone indignant.  Stiles wonders what he’d be like without that phone attached to his ear, if maybe he’s not the total jerk he appears to be.

 

*

 

The third time, Stiles doesn’t even wait for his order. He rings up the black coffee, taking the money from Peter’s already outstretched hand and handing over a receipt before Peter has even thought about taking the split second break from his phone call. Peter looks at the receipt in his hand a little dazed, like he’s not entirely sure what’s just happened. But then it seems to settle in his mind that Stiles has anticipated his request and acted accordingly without prompting. So, Stiles thinks that is what makes this time different. Because  _this time_ , Peter rewards him with a wink and a little half-smile.

“Peotre” Stiles writes on the cup and doesn’t bother with the artwork. He’s not going to change his game entirely just because a guy gives him a wink.

That wink does give Stiles something to think about though. He spends the rest of his shift idly wondering about it. Maybe Peter is so used to having to deal with other people’s problems, he just needs someone to show some initiative and maybe take care of  _him_  once in a while.

When Scott asks Stiles why he’s been so quietly lately, Stiles realizes that he’s spending entirely too much time thinking about some strange dude that’s barely said two words to him.

 

*

 

If Stiles thought things would be better with Peter after that wink last time, he was completely and utterly wrong.

Peter comes in as usual, phone conversation going strong and Stiles can tell from the tone of his voice that he’s already having a bad day. His eyes are stormy and his face pinched with anger. Stiles almost rings up the black coffee but doesn’t when he sees Peter’s eyes glare up at the menu. Instead he waits. This was apparently the wrong thing to do.

“Coffee. Black.” Peter barks at him like he can’t believe he actually has to tell Stiles that. Like Stiles is  _his_ incompetent employee instead of  _Jim’s_  incompetent employee. “And most normal people spell Peter P-E-T-E-R. Including me.”

 _Aww, you noticed_ , Stiles thinks sarcastically at Peter’s back after the man snubs him again in favor of his phone call. Stiles rings up the drink a little more forcefully than normal, Peter’s bad mood affecting him now too.  

He picks up Peter’s cup and considers what to label it this time. He decides, if Peter doesn’t like his spelling, he won’t burden Peter with it this time and simply draws a dick on the cup. One with a bulbous head and a pair of hairy balls.

Scott doesn’t notice anything wrong until he’s finished filling the order. It’s only when he goes to call out the customer’s name that he pauses. He looks at Stiles questioningly but Stiles isn’t in the mood to help him out. Besides, Scott is his best friend, if anyone can figure out how Stiles’ mind works, it’s Scott.

“Um, Dick?” Scott calls out tentatively but there are no takers.

“Richard?” is his next guess. Still, no one steps forward to take the drink.

Scott looks at Stiles helplessly once again but seeing that he’s going to be no help, he scans the crowd.

“Oh,” Scott says with a little laugh when he sets sight on the man with the phone, no doubt remembering what they’d called penises when they were younger. “Peter.”

Stiles can’t help snickering, too. Sure, it’s immature but Peter is certainly an apt name for a guy that has a tendency to behave like a dick.

 

*

 

Peter doesn’t come back the next day. Stiles briefly mourns the loss. He was cute even if he was a jerk and Stiles was having fun thinking of new things to put on his cups. Oh well, there’ll always be other assholes.

 

*

 

Stiles is so entranced in his studying that he doesn’t notice the bell above the door ding at the entrance of a new customer.

“Hello... Stiles.”

The familiar voice has Stiles eyes shooting up from his book.

Peter is standing there dressed in a tight v-neck shirt and a simple pair of blue jeans, just straightening up from where he’d bent to get a better look at Stiles’ nametag. His phone is nowhere in sight.

“Hey.”

“Could I get a—”

“Black coffee?” Stiles guesses.

“Heaven’s no,” Peter declines. “That’s my ‘I need caffeine right now or else I’ll kill everyone on my payroll’ drink. But, uh, I’m not working right now.”

“I can see that,” Stiles says, letting his gaze trail down Peter’s body once more. “’Relaxed’ is a good look for you.”

Peter does this complicated thing where he smirks like he knows that what Stiles is saying is true while looking at the ground like he’s shy. The guy is such an enigma right now.

“Well, I don’t know that I would say I’m  _relaxed_  but thank you,” Peter smiles.

His face is even lovelier when he’s smiling. Stiles bites his lip so he doesn’t say something stupid but then realizes suddenly that he still has a job to do. He shakes non work related thoughts out of his head and gets back to it.

“Sorry, what can I get you?”

“Oh, um… a venti macchiato,” Peter answers, stammering a little like maybe he’d forgotten what he was here for as well.

Stiles rings up the drink, simply writes “Peter” on the cup, and waits. He’s not sure what he’s waiting for. Whether it’s for Peter to walk back out the door or to continue the conversation but for some reason he’s just… waiting.

“Actually, the reason I came here was to apologize,” Peter says suddenly.

“For what?” Stiles asks, not because he thinks Peter doesn’t have anything to apologize for, Peter has plenty to apologize for. In fact, if it were up to Stiles, he’d make Peter grovel.  _From his knees_. He just wants to know what  _Peter_  thinks he needs to apologize for.

“For being a dick, apparently,” Peter answers with huff of laughter. Oh, so he noticed that last little piece of Stiles’ artwork. “I’m sorry, my mornings never start off well and you’ve only ever seen the worst of me. Regardless, that’s no excuse for the way I’ve treated you and I sincerely apologize.”

Stiles could say ‘it’s okay, I get it’ but it’s not really okay. It’s not okay to treat people poorly just because you’re in a bad mood. His mother always told him ‘treat people the way you want to be treated’ and that’s a rule that Stiles has held to for all these years. So, instead of pardoning Peter’s behavior, he simply nods his acknowledgement and says “yeah, thanks.”

Scott calls Peter’s name and Peter takes his drink but doesn’t leave. He lingers for a moment, eyes flitting to Stiles before he opens his mouth to speak. “Is there any way I can make it up to you?”

Stiles arches an eyebrow. He’s not sure how Peter intended the question to be taken but he’s certainly intrigued. “That depends. Are you hitting on me?”

Peter smirks. “I am if you want me to be.”

Stiles considers that. He does have theory on how to make Peter’s bad mornings start off a little brighter. “I get off in an hour.”

Peter winks and salutes Stiles with his drink before moving to sit in a booth and wait.

Stiles watches him go and can’t seem to wipe the smile off his face. He may get Peter on his knees after all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you thought?


End file.
